Nursing as a Second Career

nutella, MSN, RN · Dec 27, 2015

Did you find it was hard to adapt to a completely different career or was it a seamless transition?

I was a paramedic before and it was a difficult transition at times from going to an independent working person to being a student.

Did you find nursing school difficult coming from a non science background?

Nursing school in general is not easy!

Do you feel great job satisfaction as a nurse?

Yes

Also for people that have always been nurses, are you still happy with your original decision to become a nurse?

I have been a nurse for 20 years and I am happy with that decision.

HappyJetting · Dec 27, 2015

Nutella,

Thanks so much for you input. In your day to day activites do you report to a supervisor or have a superior who watches over your shoulder? With flying we dont report to anyone and you're pretty much held accountable for actions since you don't have someone to report to before your flight.

loriangel14, RN · Dec 27, 2015

Good luck in your new venture. You must be very excited. Depending on your job you will have someone that you will have to answer to, either a charge nurse, supervisor or a manager of some sort. A large part of a nurses responsibilities is documentation. Everything you do, no matter how seemingly small will be recorded somewhere. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

HappyJetting · Dec 28, 2015

Loriangel14

Thank you!!! I am SO excited lol

db2xs · Dec 28, 2015

Hello All,
This is my first post on here, so forgive me if I posted in the wrong area. Currently I am a flight attendant and have been for about two years, while I enjoy traveling I don't necessarily enjoy it for work. I prefer to be home and travel on my off days to places I enjoy. After talking to a few friends and family that are nurses I decides to persue this as my career. I was appected into the NYU school of nursing and start the accelerated program in fall 2016.
My question is for anyone who is working as a nurse as their second career. Did you find it was hard to adapt to a completely different career or was it a seamless transition? Did you find nursing school difficult coming from a non science background? Do you feel great job satisfaction as a nurse? Also for people that have always been nurses, are you still happy with your original decision to become a nurse?
This is a big change for me and some days I feel I am way over my head. Any and all advice is welcome.

HappyJetter, firstly, congrats on your acceptance into NYU's accelerated program!

I am a second-career nurse. My first degree is in graphic design, and I worked in publishing as a designer, editor, and writer for more than 15 years. To answer your questions:

"Did you find it was hard to adapt to a completely different career or was it a seamless transition?"

When I decided to go into nursing, I was at that time working as a freelance editor/writer/reporter for a cardiology research company. So in a way, yes, it was kind of seamless, because I had learned a lot of medical jargon and was not unfamiliar with the medical world. In terms of the actual jobs, however, it was not a seamless transition. I admit it was difficult for me. I worked for myself for seven years and so starting at the bottom of the totem pole was humbling, and I knew it was coming and was accepting of it.

"Did you find nursing school difficult coming from a non-science background?" Some of it was difficult, for sure. Patho, pharm--painful! Being in an accelerated program, I will not lie: you will be stressed out and under pressure, for sure.

"Do you feel great job satisfaction as a nurse?" Just like any job, there are good things and bad things. I would not say I feel "great job satisfaction" for various reasons I won't go into here.

I graduated in 2013 and I still trip out when I tell people I'm a nurse lol

If you'd like to ask anything else, please feel free to PM me and I would be more than happy to help with what I can :)

HappyJetting · Dec 28, 2015

db2xs,

thank you so much for the input. How do you direct message on here?

nutella, MSN, RN · Dec 28, 2015

In general you go through orientation when you start your career and also each time you switch jobs. In orientation to go with somebody who also checks how you are working, you need to get signed off on a skill check list. Once you are off orientation an educator, manager, supervisor, or somebody from quality can basically observe you providing care at any point. In one of my jobs the CNA who was also the educator would randomly go around and see what nurses were doing and provide feedback.

You always report to somebody so to speak - you have a nurse manager and if you work off hours a supervisor who is on site in a lot of settings.

In work in hospice and work very independently but once a year the manager goes out with nurses to conduct a supervisory visit with the nurse and check off a skills check list. As a nurse you are always accountable for your actions, you will have to be licensed and that comes with certain responsibilities.

db2xs · Dec 28, 2015

db2xs,
thank you so much for the input. How do you direct message on here?

Now that I think of it, I think you can only DM if you've posted a certain amount of times. Let me see if I can DM you

joanna73, BSN, RN · Dec 28, 2015

I worked in hotel management prior to nursing. I have found the customer service background very useful in nursing (multitasking, dealing with stress, handling concerns).

I found nursing school relatively easy because I'm very organized and I plan ahead. I had also taken various science courses years earlier because my original goal after high school was nursing, which I didn't pursue at the time.

There's A LOT of material to cover in nursing school, so you learn what is important vs. nice to know.

I enjoy what I do, but if I knew then what I know now, I'd be an RD or an OT. The job market isn't saturated like nursing is, more money, better hours, less stress.

allnurses Guide · Dec 28, 2015

I'm a second career nurse. I worked for years in laboratory medicine and management, so I did have a pretty strong science background going into it. It was a fairly seamless transition for me, having worked in healthcare for so many years, but Id id have a lot to learn (and still do). I love being a NP and wish I had done it years ago!

Congratulations and best of luck with your program!

LISAJINFL · Dec 29, 2015

I went back to nursing school at age 44 after years in HR and then as a vocational counselor. I can fully understand your not wanting to be a flight attendant to travel. (I always said I would never want to be a flight attendant because you're stuck in that plane with what sometimes seems to be a lot of idiots.) However, if you don't like your job because of the personal contact/helping role, you won't like nursing. I will tell you, too, I have worked my way through undergrad and grad degrees, but the 16 months I spent in nursing school were hell; because I was also working full time. That said, I got through it and it was the best decision I ever made. I never, ever have to worr about having a job. As far as micro-managing, nursing is really quite independent, but, in a facility, you usually have back up. Good Luck. You can do it.